‘The Walking Dead’s Greg Nicotero Inks New Deal With AMC

Greg Nicotero, executive producer of The Walking Dead and its upcoming companion series, has signed a new overall deal with AMC. Under the rich two-year pact, he will continue as executive producer and director on both series while also developing new projects for the network.

In 2010, Nicotero was a top special effects makeup artist with more than 800 movies and TV projects under his belt when he was invited to help create the world of zombie apocalypse on The Walking Dead. He quickly made his mark — taking home a prosthetic makeup Emmy for the first season of the horror drama. He also conceived and directed The Walking Dead’s companion web series. AMC took notice, and in September 2011, the network signed Nicotero in a first-look deal. He was named a co-executive producer on TWD and given his first TV directing gig – helming an episode from the drama’s second season.

Since then, Nicotero has risen to an executive producer on the mothership TWD series and emerged as its leading director. He has directed 11 episodes, including the Season 5 premiere — currently the highest-rated episode in the history of the series — the midseason premieres for the last two seasons and the upcoming Season 5 finale. Nicotero also has been developing for AMC, with one of the projects, Galyntine, going to pilot, which he directed. The TWD companion series, which he executive produces, recently received a two-season pickup.

“Greg is a rare talent who has made an enormous contribution to the success of The Walking Dead, and now is also applying his creativity and nightmare-inducing genius to The Walking Dead companion series,” said Joel Stillerman, AMC’s EVP Programming, Production and Digital Content. “We are grateful to have him at AMC for years to come, where he will continue to push the bounds of what is possible in both terrifying and delighting viewers.”

Nicotero, a four-time prosthetic makeup/visual effects Emmy winner, including two for his work on The Walking Dead, is repped by WME, Generate and Ziffren Brittenham.